This invention relates to cash dispensing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for dispensing a sum of money to one of a plurality of dispensing stations accessible to bank clerks and/or customers.
With the introduction of micro-processor control of cash dispensing apparatus, it is now possible to programme the software to control multiple dispensing stations and thus utilize the apparatus to its maximum.
An aim of the present invention is to provide a cash dispensing apparatus which dispenses, on command, a requested sum of money to any one of at least four dispensing stations.
According to the invention, the cash dispensing apparatus comprises: at least one feed module for storing banknotes and for delivering a selected sequence of banknotes; at least two stacking platforms, each platform having a dumping facility to dump a stack of banknotes supported on the platform; at least two dispensing stations associated with each platform; a transfer means for each platform to transfer banknotes stacked on the platform to a selected one of the dispensing stations; diverter means , and a common flowline for banknotes leading from the feed modules to the diverter means which diverts them to a selected one of the stacking platforms; detecting means stationed on the common flow-line for detecting the passage of multiple banknotes and for counting single banknotes; and central control means responsive to the detecting means and to commands for a delivery of banknotes to a selected dispensing station; the central control means causing the diverter means to divert single banknotes to the selected platform associated with the selected dispensing station, but to divert multiple banknotes to another platform; causing the dumping facility at that other platform to dump any multiple banknotes; and, if the detecting means indicate an incorrect total count of single banknotes, also causing the dumping facility at the said selected platform to dump the stack of single banknotes, but otherwise causing the transfer means at that selected platform to transfer the stack to the selected dispensing station.